Downtown Alliance Statement on Opening of First Section of Lower Manhattan’s East River Waterfront Esplanade

Alliance for Downtown New York President Elizabeth H. Berger today issued the following statement on the opening of the first section of the East River Waterfront Esplanade.

“Thanks to Mayor Bloomberg, City Planning Commissioner Burden and EDC President Pinsky for making a fantastic new park along the East River,” said Berger. “With SHoP Architects’ extraordinary design, here’s a public place where the 306,000 people who work in Lower Manhattan and our 56,000 residents can literally get their feet wet!”

The new esplanade – open to the public from 6:00 AM to midnight – provides a place for residents, office workers and visitors to Lower Manhattan to enjoy the waterfront. The “Look-Out,” a series of stadium-like steps leading to the water at the foot of Wall Street, enables visitors to sit and observe the water with unobstructed views. A new state-of-the-art dog park features a climbing bridge, sand pit, splash pad and dog house. The entire esplanade is unified by a newly installed purple girder underneath the FDR Drive that will be illuminated at night and visible over the esplanade and across the river. For more information please visit www.nyc.gov.

Ms. Berger joined Mayor Bloomberg and Speaker Silver for the announcement on the esplanade at Wall Street, along with Deputy Mayor Robert K. Steel, State Senator Daniel L. Squadron, Council Member Margaret Chin, City Planning Commissioner Amanda M. Burden, New York City Economic Development Corporation President Seth W. Pinsky, Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe, Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, and Community Board 1 Chair Julie Menin.